


Freezing

by kalihiro



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: M/M, obviously theres going to spoilers in here so, sometimes its good to just talk about whats bothering you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-12-01 23:56:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20940842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalihiro/pseuds/kalihiro
Summary: it's painful to have your true nature seenso you're always escaping to a far off placea spell can be casti promise i'll be better behaved soi wonder if it's okay to still love you





	Freezing

Galo was an extremely affectionate guy. He loved others immensely and was never afraid to show it. Whether through big hugs or loud words of praise, he always did whatever he could to show the other Burning Rescue members how much he loved them all.

But he was different with Lio.

It's been about two months since the world was almost brought to an end. Two months since the Promare had vanished from Earth. Two months since Lio joined Burning Rescue. 

And he never,  _ never _ , strayed from Lio's side since.

He'd stand mere centimeters away from him. Hold on to the back of his shirt or reach for his hand ever so often just to make sure he was there.

Anybody who knew the both of them would say that Galo and Lio are, undeniably, in love with one another. But the way Galo clings to him is more than just a simple crush.

"Are you okay?" Aina asked, shoving a slice of pizza in Galo's face to pull him out of his daze. Galo immediately took it from her, with his mouth, and began talking with his mouth full.

"Just fine!"

"You seem a bit distracted today." Remi commented.

"It's because Lio's not here, I bet." Aina added.

"He said he was too tired to come with today, which makes sense because we've all been working so hard! But…" Galo trailed off, frowning into the distance.

"But?"

"Whenever we don't work, he just sleeps. He is  _ always _ sleeping." Galo sighed. "It'd just be nice if he could join us! He's part of Burning Rescue now too!"

"Isn't that normal? He's probably just not used to all the heavy work we do quite yet." Aina shrugged.

"Yeah, that's probably true.."

"It's alright, you can just say you wanna eat with your boyfriend." Lucia grinned.

"H- Wh- We are no-" Galo stuttered. "I'm gonna go check on him. Bring me back another pizza!" He shouted as he threw some cash down on the table and hopped over the tiny fence of the restaurant patio. He boarded his bike and was gone before anyone could even say anything.

"He's acting weird."

"Ya think?" Varys replied, sarcasm still evident despite how full his mouth was.

"I mean, it's just weird for Galo to  _ not  _ tell us what's on his mind. He gets weird about Lio. Like he'll vanish if he doesn't keep an eye on him." Aina continued thinking out loud.

"Those two did save the entire planet from blowing up. Maybe something happened between them, which is why he's acting weird." Remi shrugged.

"Yeah…"

-

Everything was different now.

For as long as he could remember, Lio had the Promare inside of him. He had their voices constantly mumbling in the back of his mind and their flames keeping him warm. But now they were gone.

He felt alone and cold.  _ So cold. _

Along with the cold came the feeling of… he preferred not to think about it. Him and Galo both preferred not to think about it.

"I'm home!" Galo shouted as he shut the door behind him, hoping to earn some sort of complaint from the mint haired boy who was currently taking over his bed. But he heard nothing. Not a single sound.

"Lio?" Galo shouted again, the familiar panic rising in his chest because  _ oh god, it's happening again _ . He burst into his room, startling Lio.

"What the hell?" Lio asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Sorry." Galo smiled sheepishly. "I had to come back to grab something real fast, but I told the others to bring me another pizza, so we can split that later if you want!"

"Sure." Lio smiled softly as he sat up, eyes still closed and hair a disaster. Galo felt his heart skip a beat, completely enamored by the way Lio looked when he was sleepy.

"What'd you even forget?" 

"Oh, just, uh-" Galo reached down and picked the very first thing up that he could reach. "This."

"The remote." Lio raised an eyebrow. Despite the expression, he found Galo's attempts and lying adorable, but also incredibly frustrating.

"I couldn't remember what kind of batteries it needed."

"Hm." Lio hummed to himself as he finally got out of Galo's bed for the first time that day.

The day they quite literally saved the planet, the pair had gone back to Galo's place. Lio said he could go stay anywhere, a hotel or something, but Galo  _ insisted _ upon him staying at his place.  _ "It's so much closer!" _

That night, of course, he insisted on taking the couch. Saying that Lio deserved to rest on a proper bed for the first time in a while. Lio found it useless to argue with Galo, once his mind was made up, it was  _ made up _ . 

But… the bed was far too big for him. Even laying down and curling up under the sheets, a comforter, and two throw blankets, he still felt cold. He was freezing. Teeth-chattering shivering.

"Lio." Galo had called out from the edge of the bed, hand resting gently on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Lio looked him up and down before rolling back over. "I'm freezing."

"Do you want me to turn the heat up?"

"...Can you just lay next to me?" Lio asked quietly. Galo never complained even once. Never about Lio stealing every single one of his blankets or about taking up ¾ of his bed. He simply did as Lio asked, wrapping his arms around him tight.

"Lio!" Galo called out, pulling Lio out of his memories. He looked down, realizing he'd been pouring juice the whole time, the glass overflowing and getting all over him and Galo's carpet.

"Fuck. Ah, uh-" He set the now half empty jug down and grabbed as many paper towels as he could. "Sorry. I'm still really tired."

"Hey, I got this, it's okay. You've got juice all over you. Go change."

"...I don't have any other clothes." Lio sighed and Galo shouted.

"Ah! That's what I forgot to do this morning! Our laundry is still downstairs!" 

"I'll just g-"

"Go ahead and put something of mine on. I probably need to rewash it all. I left it in the washing machine all day." Galo laughed sheepishly and shooed Lio away to change.

The latter stopped in front of Galo's closet, absolutely certain that not a single pair of pants in there would fit him. " _ Fuck. _ " He reached for a sweatshirt, knowing he'd have to opt for the dress look until he was able to get back into a pair of his own pants.

He discarded the juice covered shorts and his own too short t-shirt, now pulling on the giant red hoodie that went down to his mid thigh.

"Thanks." Lio mumbled, joining Galo back in the kitchen area to continue cleaning up the mess.

"It's no problem!" Galo smiled brightly as he looked up, once again feeling his heart stop as he glanced Lio up and down."You, uh, you good though? I called your name like three times."

"Yeah. I just had an idiot disturb my beauty sleep."

"Well, it is already like three in the afternoon…. So…." Galo darted his eyes away and Lio stood frozen for a moment.

"...Oh."

"Are you sick or something? I don't really get sick often so I'm not sure how to help, but I bet Aina does! Definitely Heris too!" 

"I'm fine, I'm not sick." Lio smiled lightly and waved off Galo's question.

"Then why are you always sleeping?"

"For the same reason you left your friends to come back here." Lio spoke lowly, refusing to make eye contact with Galo. But he didn't need to see him to know the expression he was making. Confusion. Realization. An odd mix of the two.

"Sorry, sorry." Lio shook his head quickly as if it'd help relieve the tension he had just caused. "Can you go take care of that laundry since I can't go down there like this?"

"Huh? Oh. Oh, yeah. I'll be right back." Galo turned on his heel and left quickly, pausing outside the door for a moment. He took a deep breath, clearing his mind, before he set for the laundry room.

Lio turned around, throwing himself back down on Galo's bed. He looked up at the wall, photos of him and Galo from the past two months littering the otherwise blank space.

Galo had completely rearranged his life to fit Lio into it, and he couldn't help but feel that he was overstaying his welcome.

-

"Hey!" Aina called out to Galo. He pulled out an earbud, turning to look at her, greeting her with a huge grin.

"What're you doing here?"

Aina held up a pizza box in response, earning an even brighter grin from Galo. She could've sworn he had stars in his eyes just now. "I tried going to your place to drop it off, but no one answered so I had to begin a Galo hunt."

"Lio didn't answer?" Galo's phone fell from his grip, ripping the other earbud from his ear.

"Well, no, but-" Galo pushed past Aina, being pulled back the pink haired girl. Nobody would be able to tell at first glance, but as far as pure brute strength goes, she had Galo beat. 

"I have to go check on-"

"Galo. He's fine. I could hear him moving around, he just didn't want to answer the door." Aina held onto his wrist tightly, the worry on other boys face never fading. "Really, he's okay."

"Bu-"

"Galo." She spoke sternly, but gently. "Calm down."

Galo stared at her for a moment more before relaxing his posture. Aina pulled him back over to where he was sitting before, forcing him back down.

"What is going on?" She asked, concern overwhelming her tone.

For anyone to react about someone else like that was cause for concern, but with someone like Galo? It was  _ especially _ odd. Him being concerned about others is nothing new. But with Lio, it was fear.

"I'm just worried about him because of how much he sleeps."

"Mm-hm. You said that earlier. But I'm asking about  _ you _ ." She poked him in the chest. "What's going on with  _ Galo _ ? Not Lio, not Galo thinking about Lio. Just. You."

Galo frowned and furrowed his eyebrows, thinking hard. But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't think of how to phrase it.

"There's something you're scared of."

Galo clenched his fist tightly.

"I don't want Lio to disappear." Galo admitted. 

"What do you mean?"

"When Govern- well, just Kray now. When Kray put Lio into the generator, I almost got there too late. When I got to him, he was half ash and still slowly fading and the only reason I was able to save him was because of the flame he gave me beforehand and what if now, with the promare being gone, it happens again? I don't know how long he was a burnish, what if his body stops functioning without the promare and he starts to-" Galo spoke a million miles a minute, only stopping to breath in deeply. He buried his face in his hands, trying his hardest to keep his tears to himself. 

Aina leaned over, wrapping her arms around him the best she could.

"Galo. Galo, calm down." Aina spoke softly. "He's not going to disappear. He's just fine."

"But without th-"

"Even with the promare gone, he's been just fine this long, right?"

"But all he does is sleep. What if it's the beginning of him fading again?"

"I asked Meis and Gueira about that, seeing if they themselves or any other former burnish they knew felt irrationally tired after losing the promare. But, that's just Lio." Aina smiled softly. "He's not going to disappear because he doesn't have the promare. Just talk to him about it."

"You're right." Galo took another deep breath, trying his best to bring himself back down.

"I think your stuff is done." Aina pointed at the dryer, Galo completely oblivious to the beeping. "You okay if I go? Because I'll stay if you need me to."

"I'm good!" Galo shouted, grabbing his basket from next to him and trying his utmost to sound like he always does. Aina shot him a disapproving and worried glance in response. "Really. You go, I'm gonna grab this stuff and the pizza and bring it back to Lio because he's probably feeling odd walking around with no pants."

"...He has no pants?" 

"Accident." Galo responded and Aina tried  _ very _ hard not to giggle. "Wait, no, he didn't wet himself! He zoned out and got juice everywhere!"

Aina let out a big laugh before standing up. "Maybe one more thing to think on is how you phrase things."

Galo continued shoving the now dry laundry into his basket as Aina left. "I'm meeting up with Thyma, but don't hesitate to call if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay." Galo smiled softly.

-

"Lio! I bring gifts!" Galo shouted as he knocked on the door with his boot.

"God, you're going to get  _ yourself _ evicted if you shout like that in the hallways." Lio sighed as he answered the door.

"Clothes and pizza. Though the pizza may be cold now."

"When did you-"

"Aina brought it."

"Oh. That's who came by." Lio grabbed the box and plopped down on the couch, waiting for Galo to join him. However, the blue haired boy just stayed standing, fidgeting with his hands awkwardly. "...What's going on?"

"Why do you always sleep?"

"That again?" Lio asked, turning away from looking at Galo.

"I'm worried about you."

"...Oh." 

"You said earlier that-"

"I'm cold." Lio cut Galo off. "I'm  _ always  _ cold."

"But what does that have to do with sleeping?"

"The only other time I've felt this cold was when I was dying." Lio grimaced as he spoke and Galo hated himself for even asking. "When I sleep, I can't feel anything."

"I know I'm fine but it's just… I had the promare for as long as I can remember. I had their warmth and their voices and now there's nothing. It feels quiet and cold and it's worse when you're not around, so I sleep."

"I'm sorry." Galo threw himself around Lio suddenly, wrapping him in a huge hug. 

"Why are  _ you  _ apologizing?"

"I'm the one who helped get rid of them."

"That's nothing to apologize for." Lio pushed Galo away, holding him at arm's length. "It just… takes some getting used to."

"You're scared of the same thing. Constantly grabbing my right arm, wrapping me in a hug to make sure my chest is still there, or messing with my hair."

"Sorry."

"Again, nothing to apologize for. I just didn't want you to think I haven't noticed." Lio averted his gaze again. "I just don't really like talking about it."

"...I get that." 

At some point, Lio had moved his hands from Galo's shoulders to his cheeks, holding his face gently.

"I'll start calling you whenever I wake up. Just to let you know. And if I don't and you panic, you can call me." Lio suggested. "And I promise I'll change my ringtone to something that will actually wake me up. Okay?"

"Okay." Galo smiled softly, blushing a bit at the sight of Lio's smile.

"Your face is warm." Lio commented. Both of them pulled away quickly, both unprepared for  _ that  _ conversation at the time being.

-

They laid in Galo's bed like usual: Lio bundled up and Galo with arms wrapped around him tight.

Two months seemed like a long time, but with all they've been through, it wasn't much. They were both still recovering from a multitude of things, and at the end of the day, they still had each other.

Regardless of terms or labels, they both knew how much the other cared for them, and that was enough for the time being.

"I promise I'll try to sleep less."

"Take your time."

**Author's Note:**

> so for anyone who doesnt know, the desc is lyrics from kori no tojikomete, the ending theme of promare. the actual lyrics to the part i used are "i wonder if it's okay to still have faith" but the line "i wonder if it's okay to still love you" is used earlier in the song so whatever
> 
> so i know this is really... all over the place and i dont like it much but it felt good to write so here
> 
> also lets pretend thyma didnt die bc aina deserves a girlfriend


End file.
